Chapter 33: Lost in the Forest

Unfortunately, Luke didn’t have the time to sit around and mope about the truth of his circumstances.

Forcing himself to tread forward, Luke headed deeper into the forest far from civilization as the evil god strangely remained silent. Luke wasn’t sure why, but he was grateful not to hear him as he pushed past the trees and bushes to put some distance between him and everyone else.

It was only when it got too dark that Luke stopped for the night.

Luke sat down next to a tree, leaning his body into it, and stared up at the night sky. The moon shone down at him from above as the stars glowed.

He was immediately reminded of the nights he spent with his ex-comrades out in the wilderness as they traveled throughout the country fighting monsters. They had been so happy then, and Luke had been so certain things wouldn’t change.

Hatred and thirst for revenge filled him, though there was a trace of sorrow hidden within them.

It took several moments for Luke to calm down before he asked the evil god, “Is there any way for me to suppress these violent urges?”

The evil god scoffed and said, “Why would I know that?”

“If I can’t control these feelings, I might end up running back to face my old comrades and get myself killed,” Luke pointed out.

“If you’re worried about that, why don’t you direct those violent urges at something else?” the evil god suggested.

At first, Luke didn’t understand what the evil god was implying.

Was he suggesting Luke randomly attack his surroundings to calm himself down?

After thinking it over, the blood drained from his face as he understood what the evil god wanted from him.

“No,” Luke snarled.

“Why not? You’ve already made the whole country your enemy the moment you were discovered to have escaped the seal,” the evil god said.

“I’m not going to harm innocent people,” Luke snapped.

“Not even if it meant growing stronger?” the evil god asked.

Luke paused before demanding, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If you kill people, you will be able to realize your potential. You can grow strong enough that you can confront your old comrades head on and kill them without worry. You will be like a demigod,” the evil god said.

For a brief moment, Luke was tempted.

The thought that he would be strong enough to take on all four of his ex-comrades at once thrilled him.

He knew very well that in his current condition it was impossible for him to face all of them at once. If he wanted to beat them, he would have to face them individually and on his own terms to win.

However, he quickly snapped out of those thoughts and cursed himself for being so disgusting.

How could he let the evil god tempt him like that?

Killing innocent people for the sake of power wasn’t worth it. He couldn’t let himself fall that low no matter what.

The evil god let out an amused chuckle and said, “Haven’t you already fallen so low? You did make a deal with me after all.”

“That’s not the same thing,” Luke said with a scowl.

“Isn’t it? By making a deal with me, you freed me from my prison. You basically sold out the world for your selfish reasons,” the evil god said.

A pang of guilt stabbed Luke in the heart.

The evil god wasn’t exactly wrong. If he hadn’t made the deal, the evil god wouldn’t have been freed from the seal. He would still be stuck in that prison for who knew how long and ensure peace in the world.

Still, it wasn’t as if Luke had freed the evil god without restraint.

He had made sure that the evil god couldn’t create more monsters that would harm people, and just to be sure, he also ensured that the evil god couldn’t hurt the innocent. The evil god’s hands were basically tied.

“I’m not killing anyone,” Luke said with finality, trying to tune out the evil god.

“So you say, but I’m certain that you will. Your hatred and thirst for revenge haven’t faded. It won’t be long before you decide they matter more than your worthless morals,” the evil god said.

Hearing how certain the evil god was made Luke uneasy, but he was determined to retain what humanity he had left.

The moment he took an innocent life, he would be no better than the monsters the evil god created. That was something Luke refused to let happen even if it meant costing him his revenge and life.

In the blink of an eye, it was morning. It was time to move.

Ignoring how hungry and thirsty he was, Luke walked in the same direction as before while thinking about what his next move would be.

Staying in the forest forever wasn’t an option, and it wasn’t just because he wouldn’t be able to get his revenge that way. It just wasn’t feasible in the long run even if he didn’t account for hunger and thirst.

The whole country would undoubtedly mobilize to hunt him down. They wouldn’t rest until they found him and dealt with him.

The problem was that he was still unable to come up with any solid ideas.

There was no one in the country who would help him, and if there were, he suspected they were worshipers of the evil god. He would never work with one of them.

As for what he had on his person, they wouldn’t help him much in the long run. There were only the clothes on his back, his sword, the money he earned, and what little he managed to buy before being found out.

The money was practically useless, acting as dead weight, but he couldn’t bring himself to toss it. Money was money.

The things he bought were basic items that wouldn’t last long.

There was nothing to be said about his clothes or sword other than he was stuck with them. He had no way of changing clothes, so he would just have to keep wearing his old clothes no matter how much they smelled.

As for his sword, it was his partner since before the journey to defeat the evil god. He could never abandon it.

Suddenly, Luke stopped in his tracks as he realized he wasn’t sure where he was exactly.

Had he just gotten lost?